Titans vs Manly

[Dexter]

I agree with Mick, and the more I watched it (replayed the IQ about 20 times ) the more I think the call was bad.
However, the first time I saw it in real time I thought it was a good call, so there is no way I would blame the ref. As Coxy has said they got hammered all last year for referring everything now the very ppl who were tearing them a new one are critical when they do make calls.

 

[Coxy]

I'm a bit the opposite Dexter. First viewing: thought fair penalty. First replay: thought "hahahaha, ripped". Subsequent replays, particularly the angle from the Titans' in goal, I think it looks bad for Orford.

But if it looked dodgy to most people on first viewing, then how can you expect the referee not to penalise it?

It all comes down to the technique Orford used to dive on the ball - ie, to put his body between the ball and Campbell.

 

[Dexter]

Agree no fault whatever to the ref. It's just a classic 50 50 depending on who had the whistle.

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

as ive said earlier, i think the refs get the call right (according to the rule book) once they have the facts right basically every single time. its just that most of the time they are too useless to get the facts right lol. sterlo also raised this point on the roast. he said that the 3rd ref rules correctly, based on black and white rule books, but the rules should be taken into context and common sense used as well.

most of the time, its better when the ref just makes a call like he did in this case, coz its within context of the game. as soon as it goes upstairs, its just rule books being used

 

[OXY-351]

I thought it was close to a 50/50 call, but I think Manly were a little hard done by. That being said though, I'm happy a ref had enough balls to call it as HE saw it, not just take the easy option and allow play to go on and get the video ref to look at it if a try had come from it.

 

[Ghibli]

Decisions like these especially are subjective, and like Coxy said, it's good to see ref's make their decisions on the run and in the context of the game. I think the ref's have done really well this season. I think the touchies are the ones that should be getting greater focus on their performances IMO.

 

[titan4wests]

yeah i agree with dexter. while watching it i thought straight away it was a penalty for playing the man and not the ball, but the more i watched it on reply the more i thought manly were hard done by. kudos to the ref for calling it how he saw it, they dont have the benefit of watching the replay in slow mo, i thought it was the right call. and besides, it was manly who lost, who cares?

 

[Coxy]

Absolutely Ghibli! It seems most touchies these days are wax dummies who just get run up and down the side line by remote control. How many forward passes, lost balls, strips etc does it seem they miss right in front of them?

I guess they feel like there's almost nothing they have to do anymore between the second ref and the video ref.

 

[Je$ter]

I think it was the right call. The way Orford positioned his body meant that Campbell had no chance of getting to it. If Orford had gone shoulder to should with Preston rather than kind of drop his legs/hip in front of him it would have been fair game. I would back Orford any day of the week in a jostle with Campbell, but Orford pretty well impeded Preston from the ball when neither of them had control of it.

 

[Beachy]

Absolutely Ghibli! It seems most touchies these days are wax dummies who just get run up and down the side line by remote control. How many forward passes, lost balls, strips etc does it seem they miss right in front of them?

I guess they feel like there's almost nothing they have to do anymore between the second ref and the video ref.

I've been saying for ages that touch judges should have to pay to get into grounds like everyone else does seeing all they do is spectate

 

[QUEENSLANDER]

how can u guarantee such a thing lol

 

[Coxy]

You're right Rocky, it's not black and white...so you could easily argue it's "technically" correct or "technically" incorrect.

Fact is, Orford's technique was awkward, and resulted in Campbell being felled...not to mention another Manly player attempted to ankle tap Campbell without the ball, and subsequently Orford knocked on.

The hysteria is crazy. It wasn't a blunder. It wasn't wrong. It wasn't bizarre. It was a 50-50 call.

 

[Dexter]

The difference between the Dogs call and Manly was the vid ref had a look at it. In this instance we didn't see it from the same angle as the ref and he can't refer it. I would have been happy either way.

 

[Coxy]

Although the Bulldogs one isn't black and white either except that one wasn't even slightly following the rule book so I can see the hysteria over that. I can also understand the hysteria over this because it was so stupid. I guess in a way you can argue it both ways but either way the matter of the fact is, that call was absolutely EMBARRASSING to the game of rugby league. Honestly, for Orford to be penalised for something like that is more than tough, it's ridiculously harsh and it's crap for the game IMO.

Melodramatic much?

Orford's intent was a) get the ball, b) make sure Campbell can't toe it ahead. In turn he took Campbell down. That was illegal.

Correct call.

 

[Je$ter]

Orford knocked on anyway, so there is a good chance that tits would have levelled and/or scored.

Meh who cares, he made the call on the spot, could have gone either way. TBh manly should have won by heaps by they couldn't close it.

 

[Coxy]

Exactly right Jester. they were dominant for most of the game, and yet it was 3 tries all. They a) didn't make the most of the opportunities they had, and b) let the titans score too easily with their opportunities.

It's a game they should've won but not because of Cecchin's decision.

 

[Benno]

I can't help but feel this was a bit of Karma coming back to Manly after what they got away with when they played the Broncos... hehe

 

[Fozz]

I had another look this arvo on the NRL.com highlights and I reckon it's a fair penalty. Orford wasn't looking at the ball until just before he runs into Campbell, it's obvious that going after the ball wasn't Orfords first priority.